Gas and electric fixture attachment.



J. L. ROBE. GAS AND ELECTRIC FIXTURE ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1911.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Wilma/sow WAZZZ/IMMW J. L. ROBE.

GAS AND ELECTRIC FIXTURE ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY5,1911.

1,035,743, Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wummw wwww h 3&1, am 9? 5% mm J. L. ROBB.

GAS AND ELECTRIC FIXTURE ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5.1911.

1 0 535,743. Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

VIII/[I'm Ja/r/wL mpp;

ZMWR/ZM My 54m M mm,

UNITED srxrwunr OFFICE.

JAMES L. ROBE, F AMI STAD, NEW MEXICO.

GAS AND ELECTRIC FIXTURE ATTACHMENT.

Specification of; Letters Patent.

Application filed May 5, 1911.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912. Serial No. 625,158.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, J AMES L. Roms, a citizen of theUnited States,residing at Amistad, in the county of Union and State of New Mexico,have invented new and useful Improvements in Gas and ElectricFixtureAttachments, of. which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric, combi ing a means for leading theWires out formakin connections, thereby dispensing with outlet oxes andaccessories; or a means for connecting combination gas and electric, or

gas fixtures to gas or other rigid pipe, all of which have theadjustable feature set forth heretofore.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple, strong,durable, safe and inexpensive means for conducting wires out fromconcealed places, in such as knob, cleat, flexible loom, or other styleof concealed work, or from open work, molding, or other accessiblemethods of wiring; the same being applicable to all styles of old workas Well as being adaptable to new work, in that it can be installed toadvantage while the structure is in process of construction, and beready for the fixture as soon as the conditions will permit the use ofthe same.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a means forapplying this adjustment movement, commonly known as a ball and socketjoint, by the modifications set forth hereinafter to the various methodsof wiring and piping for fixtures, and to be applicable to the variousshapes and styles of supports used for the receiving of fixture stemsand the support of fixtures.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts as hereinafter set forth and described in connection withthe accompanyin drawings, which form a part of thls 'speci cation,

while its novel features will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

- Further objects of the invention will appear as the following specificdescription is read in connection with the accompanying A drawings,Which form part of this application, and in which Figure 1 is a sectionshowing parts in elevation of one form of the fixture. F 2 is a detailsectional view of the separate parts I usedin Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asectional view showing the structure in Fig. 1 installed under extremeconditions. Fig. 4 is a'detail sectional view of a modified form- Fig. 5is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 4:. Figs. 6 and 7 showsimilar views in different positions. Fig. 8 shows a sectional view of afurther modified form of fixtures Fig. 9 shows the application of ahickey to an outlet box. Flg. 10 is a similar view showing the hickeyconnected to the ordinary crowfoot. Fig. 11 is a sectional view of theball socket.

Referring more particularly to the draw-' ings, 1 represents a crowfooLof special design having a bowl 2 in which is seated a semi-sphericalballv 3 having a centrally threaded aperture 4. The bowl 2 is spherical,or substantially so, upon itsexternal and internal'surfaces and theradius of the convex surface of the ball 3 is slightly greater than theradius of the concave surface of the bowl 2. Threaded in the ball isa-two-part conduit pipe 5 whose sections meet approximately in thevertical center of the ball and with the upper section extendingabovethe crowfoot and the lower section extending through an aperture 6 inthe bottom of the bowl and having its lower end threaded, as

at 7, to receivethe sleeve adjusting nut 8. A sleeve 9 surrounds thelower end of the conduit tube or pipe 5 and has its lower end restingupon a washer 1'0 surrounding the tube and supported by the nut, and itsupper end in engagement with the under side of the socketll whoseconcave surface has a radius slightly less than the convex surface ofthe bowl 2. By adjusting the the socket 11 is forced into engagementwith the bowl 2 and the ball is pulled vdoWn'into engagement with thebowl, so that the bowl of the crowfoot is gripped upon its internal nut8 upon the end of the conduit tube 5 and external surfaces, the relativerelations of the radii of these respective parts being 'such that whenthe ball and socket arev drawn together they will bind effectively uponthe bowl to hold the tube at any angle to the "crowfoot which can beobtained, the,

tach the same to a lath and plaster support.

Surrounding the tube '5 and having its upper end abutting against thesocket 11, is a shell 14 in the form of a frustum of a cone which isheld in place by a washer 15 upon which the shell rests and which isheld in position by the nut 8. This shell is used to serve as a form forthe outlet through ahole in the ceiling. WVhen this form of fixture isused with new work the shell is placed in position before the lath orplaster or other finish is applied and may be left in such posit-ion, orused again. The washer 10 is removed before attaching the fixture.

In Fig. 3, the device is shown applied in an extreme condition where aceiling support 16 is shown carelessly installed be tween the floorjoists 17, the upper end of the conductor tube 5 extending through anaperture 18 therein and the crowfoot secured directly with its bowl inregistry with the aperture. The adjustment of the device will be seen toreadily permit the conductor tube to pass vertically through the ceiling19. The lower end of the tube left exposed beyond the nut 8 has threadedthereto an ordinarycommercial hickey 20 having side apertures 21 for thepassage of the electric wires, so that a joint can-be conveniently madebetween the fixture wires and the leading-in or feeder wires 22 and 23respectively. The lower end of the hickey is threaded and securedtherein is a fixture stem 24 to which is secured the fixture casing 25surrounding the same and carrying an adjustable collar 26 upon which afixture canopy 27 is supported to cover the hickey and aperture in theceiling formed by the shell 14.

In Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7, the device is shown applied to an ordinarycommercial crowfoot 28 having a threaded aperture 29 in its base and asubstantially spherical outer surface. Seated in the crowfoot is asubstantially semi-spherical member or ball 30 having relatively largethrough aperture 31 adapted to receive the adjusting screw 32 whichpasses through the apertures 31 and 29 in the member 30 and crowfoot 28and engages the threaded aperture 33 formed at the base of the socket 34which is formed upon the upper end of the hickey 35. The upper end ofthe screw is provided with a head 36 having a plurality of apertures 37therein adapted to receive an adjusting tool which may be in the form ofa spike 38, as shown in 5. By turning up the screw 32 the socket portionof the hickey is drawn into engagement with the outer spherical surfaceof the crowfoot bowl, and the hickey is held in adjusted position withrelation to the crowfoot. The large aperture 29 in the crowfoot permitsa relatively wide adjustment of the screw 32 and the hickey connectedthereto and the aperture 31 in the ball 30 is made considerably largerthan the screw, so as to allow the head thereof to retain its fixedrelation to the socket and to allow the ball to adjust itself to thecrowfoot. The lower end of the hickey 35 is internally threaded andmounted therein is a fixture tube 39 throughwhich the conductor wires 40pass.

Tn Fig. 8, an ordinary metal conduit 41 is shown as projected throughthe ceiling 42 and provided with a threaded lower end upon which ismounted a hickey 43 having a spherical lower end 44 and a centralaperture 45 which communicates with side apertures 46 through which thefixture and'leading-in wires 47 and 48 respectively may be connected.Surrounding the spherical ball 44 of the hickey is'a split socket 49having the internally threaded lower end adapted to receive the fixturetube 50. This tube has its upper end threaded for a considerabledistance and, mounted upon the threaded portion, is a nut and washer 51to bear against the lower end of an inverted cone frustuin 52 which hasits upper internal portion recessed, as at 53, to receive the fingers ofthe split socket 49. The fingers of the split socket 49 are suflicientlyresilient to snap over the ball or sphere 44 and the frustum or shell52, when operated upon by the nut, holds the fingers together inengagement with the ball so that the fixture tube 50 may be held inadjusted position.

In Fig. 9, the type of hickey shown at 43 is illustrated connected to anordinary outlet box 53 by means of a threaded supporting stud 54.

In Fig. 10, a commercial form of crowfoot is shown at 55 having athreaded nipple 56 secured in its lower end and adapted to receive thehickey. Tn this type of hickey the side apertures 46 are omitted andonly the straight central aperture is provided, the wires coming" inbetween the legs of the crowfoot and extending down through the nippleand hickey which may have the fixture connected thereto, as shown inFig. 8. In place of the washer shown above the nut 51 the canopy shownat 27, in Fig. 3, ma be secured so as to cover the jointat the cei ingor side wall.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is 1. Incombination, a fixture tube, a support, a universal connection betweenthe tube and the support for adjusting the tube relatively to saidsupport, fixture wires in the tube, incoming wires, and a hickeyconnected to the tube and having side apertures to permit the connectionof the incoming ancl crowfoot having a bowl, a ball seated in'the bowl,a concluctor tube passing through the ball, a socket member engaging thebowl, a sleeve surrounding the tube, and means for forcing the sleeveagainst the socket member, whereby the latter will be held in engagementwith the bowl.

3, In a device of the class iescribecl, a crowioot having a bowl, a ballseatecl in the bowl, a conductor tube passing through the ball andconnected thereto, a socketmember surrounding the tube and adaptexl toengage the bowl, a sleeve surrounding the tube, anti a nut on the tubeadapted to force the sleeve into engagement with the sachet member holdthe latter in engagement with the exterior of the bowl the ball inengagev rnent with the interior of the bowl,

4., In a olevice of the class describecl, a crowfoot havi a bowl, a ballseated in bowl, a conductor cube passing through the ball and connectedthereto, a socket member surrounding the tube and. adapted to engage thebowl, a sleeve surrounding the tube, a nut on the tube adapted to forcethe sleeve into engagement with the socket member and hold the latter inengagement with the exterior of the bowl and the ball in engagement withthe interior of the bowl, a fixture tube, and a connecting device forjoining the fixture tube with the conductor tube and having apertures topermit the joining of inlet and fixture wires.

5. in combination, a sectional conductor tube, means for connecting thesections, a

socket member surrounding said means, ancl means adjustably secured onone section of the tube for holding the socket member acijustablyclamped on the connecting means,

injtestimony whereof I aitix my signature in nresence or two witnesses.

JAMES 1. E0813, Vt itnesses:

M, EUGENE I loovnn, SARA J. Hoover,

